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NYU Anthropology Symposium to Explore the Origins of the Arts in Europe, April 9

March 4, 2013
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New York University will host “Aurignacian Genius: Art, Technology, and Society of the First Modern Humans of Europe,” an international symposium, on April 9, 1 p.m.-5 p.m. at NYU’s Kimmel Center for University Life, Room 914 (60 Washington Square South).

Aurignacians, who inhabited much of Europe and parts of southern Asia until approximately 28,000 years ago, are the first modern humans outside Africa, and their practices and advances shed light on the origins of the arts in Europe. The symposium will consider the social, technological, and environmental contexts of Aurignacian art and how science can inform our understanding of Aurignacians’ contributions to today’s cultural landscape.

Among the speakers are NYU Anthropology Professor Randall White and Raphaëlle Bourrillon of the University of Toulouse whose discovery of the earliest form of wall art was reported last fall, a finding that offers rich evidence of the role art played in the daily lives of Early Aurignacian humans. Other speakers include: Marc Azéma, François Bon, Carole Fritz, William Rendu, and Gilles Tosello of the University of Toulouse; Harald Floss and Sibylle Wolf of the University of Tuebingen; and Antonin Baudry, cultural counselor of the Embassy of France. Detailed information and registration materials can be found at: http://bit.ly/163Sp6r.

The event is sponsored by NYU’s Center for the Study of Human Origins, in collaboration with the Cultural Services of the French Embassy.

The symposium is free and open to the public, but confirmed registration is required: 212.992.7488 or valerie.dubois@nyu.edu. Subways: A, B, C, D, E, F, M (West 4th Street)

Reporters interested in attending must contact James Devitt, NYU’s Office of Public Affairs, at 212.998.6808 or james.devitt@nyu.edu.

NYU will host “Aurignacian Genius: Art, Technology, and Society of the First Modern Humans of Europe" on April 9. Last spring, conference speakers Randall White of NYU and the University of Toulouse's Raphaëlle Bourrillon released findings showing that a 1.5 metric ton block of engraved limestone constituted the earliest evidence of wall art. Above is a piece of the discovery, which depicts animals in red and black paint. Image courtesy of Raphaëlle Bourrillon.